Quebec Winter Carnival

Month : January
Place : Quebec City, Canada
Famous For : Winter Sports Festival
Attractions : Skiing, Snow Rafting, Ice Sculptures, Snow Sled-slides.

Quebec's Winter Carnival is a popular winter sports event organized every year in January at Quebec City, Canada. It's a 17 days long event which boosts off events including a winter amusement park, with attractions such as skiing, snow rafting, ice sculptures and snow sled-slides. This winter carnival in Quebec also includes various interesting events like winter sports, dog sled races, snow sculpting, parades, singing and of course eating, drinking and entertainment.

Major Attractions

The Quebec"s Winter Carnival began as a tradition of getting together before lent to feast and drink. The main highlights of this carnival are the traditional festival activities like drinking 'caribou', a potent mix of brandy, vodka, sherry and port, the construction of an approximately 20 meter high ice castle, and the playing of long ceremonial trumpets make this festival more than just a party to celebrate winter sports. From history books, an epic story comes out related to Quebec"s Winter Carnival. In the year 1955 a magical ice palace was built for Bonhomme, the Carnival's guest of honor for the first time in Jacques-Cartier Square. It was an impressive ice construction with a dungeon. People who refused to honor Bonhomme's effigy were jokingly jailed in this dungeon. Masses of people used to gather at the site which was lit up with special lighting and entertainment for the occasion and dancing went on and on. In 1973, Bonhomme's ice palace was moved opposite the Quebec Parliament. Another major attraction of this carnival is the ancient sport of canoe race which started in 1894. A colorful carnival amidst snow covered peaks of Canada is surely a hilarious experience.